National Efforts to Increase Integration of Oral Health into School Health

The Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) recognizes that effective oral health interventions for children are available in most communities. Yet, these services are not always accessible in a timely manner. School-based health centers (SBHCs) have become an excellent vehicle for reaching those children at highest risk and with the least access to care because centers are primarily located in schools that serve large numbers of these children. SBHCs represent an important component of the health care safety net for children in the United States. For some communities, oral health care made available through SBHCs can reach those children and youth who would not receive services otherwise. Furthermore, these programs can facilitate the establishment of a dental home for children at high risk for dental caries. Establishing a dental home early in a child's life can expose the child to prevention and early intervention before problems occur.

Of interest to MCHB is the opportunity to model best practices for the purpose of expanding the availability of quality comprehensive oral health services in SBHCs. As national demonstration projects, MCHB funded programs will demonstrate effective ways to strengthen established school-based health center capacity to respond to the dental needs of young people and increase access to dental health education and services for underserved, high-risk populations. Successful programs will meet a current need by developing and implementing a well-planned program that is grounded in collaboration among relevant stakeholders whose focus includes proper evaluation, continuous quality improvement and an eye toward sustainability.